Confessions of a Broken Heart
by SereneCalamity
Summary: Gabriella's stuck in an abusive household. She can only take so much. OneShot. SongFic. Troyella.


_This is quite sad, in my opinion. Hope you like it:_

_Disclaimer: I own none of the _HSM _characters or the song, which belongs to _Lindsay Lohan. _I do own the dad, Shaun Montez, and the twin sister, Jessica Montez. _

Gabriella Montez crept to edge of the banister. Gabriella felt her face twist in disgust as Shaun Montez, their father, raised his voice at their mother, Janine Bolton. Her twin sister was beside her, her face a mask of horror.

Shaun had arrived home late from work, and was tired and angry. Janine had been waiting for him to arrive home since around seven and it was now ten o'clock.

_I wait for the postman to bring me a letter  
I wait for the good lord to make me fell better  
And I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders  
A family in crisis that only grows older_

The shouting increased and finally the sharp smack of Shaun's hand hitting Janine's head reeled around the room.

Gabriella shrunk away from the banister, tears streaming down her face. Abusive words could be heard from below, directed at Janine and the girls. Jessica soon ran off to her room, screaming back at her father even though he wasn't paying any attention to her.

_Why'd you have to go  
Why'd you have to go  
Why'd you have to go_

Gabriella could remember the dad he would be since before she was ten. He was funny and happy and he would listen to them. He never, _ever _hit their mother.

But then he changed. His old self went somewhere deep away, and a cruel monster replaced it.

As Gabriella retreated to her room, she could still hear her father shouting at her mother. Tears streamed down Gabriella's face, and she let her hands wring helplessly together as she pressed herself against the closed door. In anger, she thumped out at the wall, feeling pain surge up her arm.

Gabriella crumbled to the ground, the shouts echoing in her head.

_Daughter to father, daughter to father  
I am broken but I am hoping  
Daughter to father, daughter to father  
I am crying. a part of me dying and  
These are, these are the  
Confessions of a broken heart_

The next day, Gabriella ate her breakfast in silence. Her eyes were still puffy and her mother saw from her tear-stained face that she had cried herself to sleep.

"Sweetie, it's okay," Janine ran a hand over Gabriella's forehead and dropped a kiss. Gabriella winced away from her touch, looking up at her face, and seeing bruising on her cheek. She shoved her bowl away and ran out the front door, in direction of school.

At school, Troy Bolton let her cry into his shoulder until the bell rang, and then they parted for class. Gabriella paid no attention during the day, her mind too busy replaying the scene from last night.

_I wear all your old clothes your polo sweater  
I dream of another you the one who would never (never)  
Leave me alone to pick up the pieces  
A daddy to hold me that's what I needed_

Prom night was next week, and Gabriella forgot all her troubles at home as she danced with Troy. He gave her a ride home and then everything came flooding back.

Gabriella didn't want the night to end, to have to go back into the house. Jessica was already home, she could tell because the family car was in the driveway and Jessica had taken it to the dance.

Troy kissed Gabriella good-night and then she got out of the car and approached the front door.

The lounge light was on, but everything else was quiet. Gabriella looked scared and gave herself a little shake, before pushing open the door.

_So why'd you have to go  
Why'd you have to go  
Why'd you have to go_

Gabriella gasped as they entered the lounge. Jessica—still in her prom dress—was hunched over Janine's motionless body. Slumped on a chair, smelling like alcohol, was Shaun. Gabriella screwed up her nose at the stale smell, before crouching beside Jessica.

"I've rung the hospital and the cops," Jessica said in a whisper which barely audible. Gabriella just shook her head, and buried her head in her arm, sobs racking her body.

_Daughter to father, daughter to father  
I don't know you but I still want to  
Daughter to father, daughter to father  
Tell me the truth did you ever love me  
Cause these are, these are the confessions of a broken heart_

Gabriella had rung up Troy. He arrived a few minutes later, his suit rumpled and his hair still slicked back, but out of place. He saw the flashing lights of the ambulance and the police cars, and enveloped Gabriella in a hug.

The police came out a few minutes later, a heavily hung-over Shaun feebly trying to push them away. They shoved him and hand-cuffed him, and then put him in the car.

A police-woman came over to talk to the siblings.

_I love you, I love you  
I love you, I love, I love you_

Gabriella loved the man. Her father. But it wasn't her father who had beaten her mother. It wasn't her father who had shouted and yelled, causing her to cry. It wasn't her father who was glaring at them from behind the bars of the police-car.

After answering questions, Gabriella and Jessica both drove to the hospital with Troy. They had rung up the Bolton's and they were going to meet them at the hospital.

_Daughter to father, daughter to father  
I don't know you but I still want to  
Daughter to father, daughter to father  
Tell me the truth did you ever love me  
Cause these are, these are the confessions of a broken heart_

It was a flurry in the hospital. Gabriella glimpsed her mother being brought in on a stretcher, doctors and nurses swarming around her, shouting medical phrases. Gabriella hung on Troy, feeling tears flowing down her cheeks. Troy held her tightly, muttering indistinct words under his breath.

A nurse came out to them, her hair ruffled and her face worried. She gave Gabriella a drink and then gave some words which she obviously thought were comforting.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Gabriella mumbled, feeling the water get stuck in her throat at the nurse's expression.

A doctor came out a moment later.

_I wait for the postman to bring me a letter_

"I'm afraid that…That we've lost her."

_Sad ending, I know. Please review. _


End file.
